MoGCA Backs Women's Empowerment at 2025 BossLady Creatifest.

The Thimzy Empowerment Initiative on Thursday staged the highly anticipated Boss Lady CreatiFest 2025 at the St. Anthony Parish Hall, an event dedicated to celebrating women who continue to champion empowerment and transformative leadership across Sierra Leone. Held under the theme “Ignite Her Spark: Advancing Innovation, Creativity, and Local Brilliance for an Empowered Future,” the festival brought together young women, policymakers, innovators, and development partners to advance creativity and entrepreneurship for women and girls.

Mariama S. Kamara delivered the welcome address, praising the resilience and progress of Sierra Leonean women while highlighting the BossLady’s dedication to empowering young women and supporting sexual reproductive health initiatives. Her remarks set an inspiring tone for the day’s engagements.

Representing the Bank of Sierra Leone, Mohamed Lansana Sesay spoke on the importance of financial inclusion in enhancing women’s economic empowerment. He emphasized the need for improved access to credit, financial services, and economic support systems, noting the Bank’s commitment to developing policies that integrate women more fully into the fiscal and financial ecosystem. Sesay commended the Thimzy Empowerment Initiative for amplifying the voices and economic prospects of young women across the country.

Fatmata Fathima Kamara, founder and CEO of the Thimzy Empowerment Initiative, welcomed dignitaries and guests, sharing a personal reflection on her journey to becoming a woman of influence. She expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs (MoGCA), Afrimoney, AYV, and other partners whose contributions made the event a success.

Delivering the Minister’s official statement, the Deputy Chief Director of MoGCA, Marian Goodie Sowonie, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting women’s empowerment and protecting the rights of girls nationwide. She described BossLady CreatiFest as a transformative platform that aligns with the Ministry’s mandate to advance innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership among young women. Sowonie noted that the festival’s focus on education, skills, and economic empowerment reflects national goals for inclusive development.

She emphasized the Ministry’s continued enforcement of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act (GEWE) 2022, along with ongoing policy reforms to ensure that women’s economic, social, and political rights are protected. Sowonie referenced the Ministry’s renewed Memorandum of Understanding with Plan International in November 2025 and its efforts to strengthen gender mainstreaming in local councils to ensure community-level impact.

Addressing economic empowerment, she highlighted MoGCA’s leadership in advocating for gender-responsive financial systems. She recalled the Ministry’s high-level roundtable in June 2025 with the Bank of Sierra Leone, fintech institutions, and women-led enterprises to expand access to financial literacy, inclusive banking, mobile savings, and credit opportunities for women involved in business, farming, and creative industries.

Sowonie also reaffirmed MoGCA’s commitment to protecting vulnerable women and girls affected by discrimination, gender-based violence, or economic exclusion, stressing that empowerment must go hand-in-hand with dignity, safety, and justice. She encouraged participants to use the CreatiFest platform to innovate, build networks, and promote Sierra Leonean culture and creativity.

She conveyed the Minister’s assurance that MoGCA will continue to champion reforms, partnerships, and opportunities that enhance women’s participation in national development. BossLady CreatiFest 2025 stands out as a powerful national initiative that ignites creativity and opens pathways for women and girls striving toward a more equitable and prosperous future.

Coreespondent-Kelvin Mark Kargbo

Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs-Communications Unit

mkelson367@gmail.com